WORLD CUP 2014: ESPN/ABC Coverage/TV Ratings Prognasis

I hope that Usa - Portugal will be broadcast on ABC and not on ESPN !!!

 

ESPN Annouces Hosts for FIFA World Cup in Brazil

http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2014/04/espn-hosts-for-fifa-world-cup-in-brazil/


SA
www.soccertvblog.com

 

Glad to see Mike Tirico and Bob Ley back, always excellent presenters.

Does anyone know how good Lynsey Hipgrave is?

 

Damn ya stole my post...LOL!

Great choices as hosts - well Ley and Tirico - not sure about Hipgrave - never saw her.

No Chris Fowler because of Wimbledon behind held from June 23 to July 6.

 

I love the fact that Bob Ley is knowledgeable about the sport and seems to actually enjoy it. It's going to be hard for FOX to ESPN's coverage of the WC in 2018 because FOX doesn't have the talent that ESPN does. Rob Stone has improved since moving to FOX as a host but he's not Bob Ley, lol.

 

Bob Lee originally worked for the Cosmos IIRC, and has always been the voice of soccer for me. Just remember watching random qualifiers or friendlies in the 90's.

I agree that fox doesn't have anyone with that level of experience or knowledge. I hope they lean on/borrow talent from Sky, both in front and behind the camera.

 

I still have video of an ESPN Sportscenter from 1990 where they showed a short video preview of Italia '90.
After the video was done, Bob Ley nonchalantly noted a few updates regarding injuries, the first set of games to be played and other tidbits to look forward to. All the while Dan Patrick kept silent while looking at Ley.
Afterwards there was this exchange.
Patrick: "You are the soccer guru, aren't you?"
Ley: "Are you kidding? This is what I live for! It's the biggest event on the planet!"

 

ESPN does a fantastic job covering the World Cup, although the indifference shown towards the sport by some of their personalities is a little annoying.(just watched Olbermann lead off his show with an anti-soccer rant)

 

It was an anti-Times article rant -- which a lot of people are shitting on -- not really an anti-soccer rant.

 

FOX most likely won't bring in talent from Sky because they really want to Americanize the game. I just wish they'd drop the Gus Johnson experiment and let JP Dellacamera be their main PBP if they really want an American voice. I think Rob Hawthorne or Alan Parry would be the best choices for FOX to bring in. I think Rob Hawthorne's style of announcing in particular would be perfect for an American audience. In order for Americans to be better at calling soccer games, they need to learn from people who can call the game correctly and naturally. At this point Americans for the most part don't sound natural at calling a game. We won't get a truly good announcer for another generation or two (assuming FOX/ESPN stick with Brits.)

 

What did Olbermann say?

 

I am guessing Fernando Palomo will be calling the Mexico and central america games this world cup?

 

Yeh read the article. It is a bit of a douchetastic piece. Either the author was annoyed at all the interest in European soccer and was getting a jibe in by writing an article that makes everyone look like pompous a-holes, or the author is a pompous a-hole them self. Not sure which one.

At the same time there is some truth to it. I know part of the appeal for me is the international aspect of the sport.

 

I hope that Usa - Portugal will be broadcast on ABC and not on ESPN !!!

 

Unfortunately it will be on ESPN.

 

http://search.espn.go.com/keith-olbermann/videos/6

The Apr 17 monologue .... I guess it was an anti-NYT rant but I suspect, like a lot of ESPN regulars, he has a disdain for people who think soccer is the "next big thing"

 

American sports fans have been told since the 1970s that soccer was going to the be next big thing and the fans that don't like the sport love to bring it up as a way to needle the sport since it hasn't caught on with everyone. That said it is a lot different now than in 1974 considering the world is a much smaller place with the internet and with cable TV we can see just about every important soccer match on the planet is broadcast to every cable customer that has a cable box. The sport is going to continue to grow and gain new fans but there is always going to be a segment of American sports fans that will hate the game just to hate the game and will love to bring up the next big thing line.

 

Forgive me for asking this but... anyone know if there will be a "World Cup Kickoff Celebration Concert" like they had in South Africa and whether ESPN or ABC will televise it again?
Four years ago the concert was the night before the opening ceremony/inaugural.

 

What please Americans overall are better sports announcers than any other english speakers... Candians would be second.

 

The ceremony was shown for the last 3 WCs (I wasn't here for France '98) so I wouldn't be surprised if it's shown again. I'd be shocked if it wasn't.